Federal Spending in Alaska: Running Out of Steam?

After nearly a decade of explosive growth, federal spending in Alaska has turned flat.

By Scott Goldsmith

Published: May 10, 2012

May 9, 2012

After nearly a decade of explosive growth, federal spending in Alaska has turned flat. A new analysis of federal spending in Alaska by Scott Goldsmith, professor of economics at ISER, finds that except for temporary stimulus funds provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, federal spending in the state has been roughly the same for the past several years.

The analysis discusses the composition of federal spending in Alaska, reviews stimulus spending, and provides examples of the importance of federal funds to the state economy. It also corrects a serious error in datareported by the U.S. Department of Commerce onfederal spending in Alaska.